Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

While not much to look at, peanut butter oatmeal cookies have been a longtime favorite of mine. Growing up, Mom would split a batch of oatmeal cookies between two bowls, stirring peanut butter chips into one and chocolate morsels into the other. Raisins were never involved, so her oatmeal cookies were always a treat.

To this day I love the peanut butter-oatmeal flavor combination, but in trying to avoid trans fats as much as possible, finding a palatable peanut butter chip with more wholesome ingredients has proven to be a bit of a challenge. (Sunspire makes a version, but I’ve found them to be either delicious and all-to-easily to eat by the handful, or somewhat burnt tasting, depending on the batch. Plus they’re not the easiest to find.) A simple, cost-effective solution: a generous amount of natural peanut butter stirred into the batter. I tested this recipe using the creamy, salted peanut butter from Trader Joe’s that needs to be stirred before use — not one of the varieties affected by the recall this past fall — you can’t get a much more straightforward ingredient list: dry roasted peanut butter, salt!

I also like to use a combination of whole rolled oats and powderized (yep, powderized) ones for a nice contrast in texture — the powdered oats keep the cookies nice and chewy, the whole oats lend the classic oatmeal cookie texture — it’s a method I’ve borrowed from the [urban]-legendary Mrs. Field’s cookie recipe. Basically, it helps the cookies be lean more toward the treat, rather than health food, side of the spectrum.

As an added bonus, while the baked cookies are really tasty at room temperature, the dough itself keeps well in the fridge for a few days if you prefer to enjoy yours fresh-from-the oven — a nice treat to warm you up on those increasingly chilly nights.

Wet Ingredients:

128 grams (1/2 cup) natural creamy peanut butter with salt, stir well and bring to room temp if stored in the fridge

42 grams (2 tablespoons) honey

96 grams (1/2 cup) light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg, room temperature

7 grams (1 1/2 teaspoons) vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line several rimmed baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.

Place 1/2 cup (48 grams) of the oats in a blender or bowl of a food processor. Cover and process until they become as fine a powder as possible (powderize!). Transfer to a small mixing bowl (2-quart); add remaining 1 1/2 cup oats (144 grams) and dry ingredients to this bowl. Whisk well to combine.

Combine wet ingredients (softened butter though vanilla extract) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment¹. Mix on medium speed until well-combined and lightened — about 2 minutes. Scrape down bowl, add dry ingredients and stir on low until mixed evenly.

Proceed to baking or transfer the dough to a smaller bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to five days (follow the same instructions below when ready to bake, no need to bring batter to room temp).

Onto prepared baking sheets, scoop level tablespoons of dough leaving about 2 inches of space between each. If desired², gently press down cookies until they’re about 1/2″ thick — if you’re pressing room-temp dough, you may need to lightly moisten your fingers with water to prevent it from sticking, it’s not necessary when pressing refrigerated dough as it’s no longer very sticky.

Bake cookies for about 10 minutes or until the bottoms are nicely browned. Allow to cool on baking sheet for about 2 minuts before transferring to a cooling rack. Once completely cool, store tightly wrapped at room temperature — they’re best eaten within a few days.

Notes

¹ Dough can also be made by using a hand mixer or 100% manually with a wooden spoon.

² When baking room temperature dough, I prefer the scooped, not pressed cookies. As for straight-from-the fridge dough, I enjoy the pressed, not simply scooped cookies. It’s all a matter of personal preference, either way is quite good!

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About Me

Heather is a recipe developer, writer and former Brit + Co freelance food editor living in Kansas City by way of Orlando, San Francisco and Central Connecticut (phew!). When she isn’t playing around in the kitchen, you can find her tackling projects around the house or exploring her neighborhood. Plains Joy is dedicated to [mostly] gluten-free recipes inspired by all the places she’s been and those she hopes to travel to in the future.